


A Leaders Journey

by orphan_account



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Human AU, Hurt Leonardo (TMNT), Hurt/Comfort, LGBTQ+ character(s), Major character death - Freeform, Other, PoC character, Some Fluff, weird metaphors and similes, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:35:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27706355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: He’s not dead, but he’s not alive...technically?  His body is just missing or buried...or bleeding out on a rooftop.Whichever one makes him feel less stressed.
Relationships: Leonardo & Casey Jones & April O’Neil, Leonardo & Raphael & Donatello & Michelangelo, Minor Leonardo & Original Male Character(s)
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Mhm, I like angst and Leo just happens to be my favorite so- why not? 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Sorry for my bad grammar !!

When the sword embeds itself within his tenderly exposed side, he feels nothing. Even as his own bare eyes witness it sink a good seven inches deep into him, nearly bursting out the other side, there is no pain. Not even an itch.

He would have thought of it as rather disturbing, but the sudden wailing shouts of his brothers and friends threw that out of the metaphorical window. Only to be replaced with a swell of emotions that made his aching body twitch. 

“ Leo! Hold on! We’re coming for you!”

Oh, sweet Michelangelo. His orange bandanna was stained with the blood of their enemies, not that his whole body wasn’t already caked in it, and innocent blue eyes burned with fury at every punch he dished out. Though one of his signature nunchaku’s had been lost in the heat of battle, the youngest held himself headstrong with only his willpower and the remaining nunchaku to guide him. It was a side of him that the brothers had rarely witnessed before, but it was nothing short of deadly.

“ We’re losing our men faster then I would of hoped for, prepare to retreat!”

Another shout, closer and unfamiliar, rings about in his head. Crashing against the sensitive insides of his brain, as if he were actually listening to a baby clashing together the tops of two pans.   
His knees wobbled along with the vibrations and vision turned cross-eyed the more he tried to keep himself standing.

Little blood spilled from his wound, most likely the flood gates were being kept closed by how tightly the sword was being packed into him, and the blood loss was insignificant. 

(There was still a sword in his side, a majorly catastrophic blow to his health, but the few streaks of blood that slid down his legs was far less more important than that.)

His opponent, the one who has struck him down, presses their exhausted hand against the back of his shell. Driving the sword deeper, and deeper, into his flesh before the tip bursts out of the other side. 

The way it scratches the inside of his shell sends an icy shock up his spine. 

As his torture continues, fluttering breathes begin to die into weighty gasps. His knees finally click together and then all 180 pounds of him sag limply into the enemies arms. 

While his head finds a spot to rest, wedged between the skinniest neck and bony chest, unintelligible whispers- maybe prayers- muffle behind the foot ninjas black mask. Almost buzzing quietly against the battle raging around them.   
Like butterflies flying past a honey bees nest.

The foot ninja grows silent, though they jerk the weapon in his side to try and arouse a sound. 

When they receive not even a grunt the foot ninja pulls back and cups his bloody cheek with an equally bloody glove. Their hooded eyes, hidden by the bug-eyed like mask, glide slowly down the mangled body of his opponent.  
Their body languages becomes fidgety.

They lean forward to whisper in his ear.” Rest.”

A bang, a clash, and the foot ninja is gone. Merging back amongst the blurs of black and red.

He is left alone, and the lack of support makes him flop to the ground without a sense of dignity to restrain him from it. His cheek smushing hard into the rough ground.

The blade sticking out of his side looms above like a white flag pole. Silently admitting surrender as blood pools into a puddle around his prone form.

He lets his eyes flutter a bit. “ Rest sounds nice...” 

A new kind of blackness dances in his eyes. The swirl of their tails reminding him of women’s fancy dresses as they twirl about.   
Their ruffles grow bigger by the second.

He knew his time was fading, quickly, but it was too late to fight it. He was weak.

A sigh pinched his dying lungs. His shaky hands began scratch at a closing throat with their thin fingernails. 

The battle was turning to darkness around him, but comforting voices kept him aware. 

“ Leo! Dude, you’re gonna be okay! Just hold on!”

“ Stay awake you moron!”

“ Holy shi-“

“ Please don’t die! We need you!”

He couldn’t exactly tell where they were coming from. Everything was just a jumble of mesh in the front of his brain. Blocking him form coherent thought or speech.

A faint warmth squeezed his arm, touch rough and calloused, but he could give no response. 

Something wet splashes on his cheek.

A heartbeat passes...and then he’s gone.

( One month prior...)

Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, four black shadows in varying sizes wizzed by above the oblivious humans below. Their mask tails flying behind them like the deadly wings of a predatory bird. searching for its next hunt.

A car horn honked suddenly from below, causing the second shortest shadow to falter on his next jump. The inconsistency costed him his distance and, instead of making a clean landing on the next foot top, his feet caught the edge of the building and sent him into a tumble. 

His sharp yelp shocked the shadow following him, causing them to fumble as well, and trip over the edge himself. Landing right on top on the other shadow.  
The two groaned in a pile on the cold cement roof, rubbing their heads to soothe the throbbing ache.

A shadow, the farthest away from the first two, halted his next jump to turn back in unamused boredom. He propped a hand on his hip while the last shadow landed gracefully beside him  
Their height difference was tragic.

The second tallest shadow narrowed his eyes at the two withering on the ground. A hot puff of air smoked in front of him.

“ Did ya’ two idiots forget how to ninja or somethin?” Raphael snapped, broadening his shoulders as he stalked over to his two brothers.” We’re suppose’ ta be stealthy, remember ‘dat your knuckle heads?” He gripped the back of their shells and hoisted the two up. His eyes casually gliding over their skin in search of scrapes.

Finding none, he slapped the back of Michelangelo’s head.

“ Hey!” The orange banded turtle exclaimed, rubbing the spot where he had been hit.” That hurt!”

Raphael rolled his eyes while walking away.” Quit ‘yer crying, you’ll live.” He waved back at his little brother nonchalantly. Raph smirked at the oldest brother, an eye brow raised, and let his arms fall down to his sides.

“ Numb skulls, am I right, Leo?”

Leonardo gave Raph a slight twitch of the lip, but his face stayed stone still.

Raphael frowned at the lack of reaction.” Whateva’.” He turned to look out at the sea of buildings. His eyes squinting against the onslaught of icy wind. 

“ You think we’ll be able to finish patrol early with dumb and dumber foolin’ around?”

Michelangelo glared at the red banded turtles back, and stuck his tongue out.

“ I saw that.” Raphael replied, smirking as the younger turtle yelped and hid behind the tallest brother, who was still rubbing at his sore head.

Donatello blinked owlishly at his older brother.” We’ve managed to cover more than half the city in the span of four hours, depending on if we have anymore interruptions-“ He turned to glare at the youngest turtle that was hiding behind him.”- It might take another four, or five, hours before we finish patrolling the rest.” He pushed Michelangelo and deflated against his staff with a sigh.” Not counting the park, junkyards, and shipping ports...”

Michelangelo groaned, pathetically leaning over the side like a damsel in distress.” This is gonna take forever!”. He curled up to grip his stomach.” I’m so hungry my stomach is eating itself-“ The wind blew suddenly.”- ah! And it’s sooo cold!” He shivered and slid back down onto the roof. Trying his best to huddle behind the buildings edge, and escape the dangerous winds.

“ We haven’t seen anything all night! Why can’t we just go home?”

Donatello shivered himself and nodded in agreement.” Ye..yeah. Maybe they aren’t planning on doing anything tonight...activity has gone down a bit and..and-“ A gust of wind plowed against the purple turtles skin, causing him to tense up.”- THEre ha..have been no current sightings in a week!”

Michelangelo hummed in agreement.” Yeah!”.

Raphael watched his two brothers with a frown, but he too sighed in exhaustion and crossed his arms over a shivering chest.” They’re right, Leo.” He turned to face the silent turtle, teeth beginning to chill.” I don’t think anything’s gonna happen tonight. How about we call it a day and go home?” He turned to the edge of the building without waiting for a response and hunched his shoulders.” We’re freezing our asses off for no reason, anyway.”

The youngest brothers watched as Raphael walked past them and jumped down into the alleyway below. A thump, then the sound of a manhole cover scrapping against the ground echoed, and then silence.

Donatello looked back at their leader, noting that the cold didn’t seem to effect him, and put his staff away into the hold on his back.” You coming, Leo?” his knees began to click together the longer he stayed out in the cold air.” I think me and Mikey are gonna head back with Raph...” The younger turtle hummed behind him and then jumped down from the building, following Raph down into the sewers.

“ See ya at home!”

That left the two of them.

Donnie sighed, the wind getting the better of him, and turned away from his eldest brother.” I don’t want to get sick. I’m going back..” then turned around and strictly pointed his finger at Leonardo.” Call me, if you need anything...for real, please.”  
Leonardo squinted his eyes at the smartest turtle, and smiled softly.” I will, promise.” He nodded, leaning back against the edge.” I won’t be long, anyway, just another hour or two...so...” Leo looked down at the street below, the yellow lights illuminating his face.” Don’t worry about me.”

Donatello frowned and clutched his fists.” You saying that makes me worry more, but...” The wind blew again, causing Donnie to wince.” Just make sure you call me when you’re coming home, okay? See ya soon!” He blurted in a rush, practically throwing himself off the edge to seek refuge in the warm sewer.

Leonardo waited for the sound of the manhole closing before he took off on their scheduled patrol route. He didn’t blame his brothers for wanting to call it early, it was very cold, but Leo knew crime didn’t wait for them...and it definitely didn’t wait for the weather to change.

So, yes, he would scout the rooftops until the wind burned his skin or until the sun came out. It might sound self sacrificing, but Leonardo knew that his brothers would do the same on any other day.  
He was not better than them.

A car honked from below, Leonardo did not falter, and yelling followed soon after.

“ Watch where you’re going, you fucking idiot!”

“ Whadda ya mean? It was you who wasn’t payin’ attention! Get off yer’ phone and watch the fucking road!”

“ Fuck you!”

“ No, fuck you!”

The banter made Leonardo laugh, and wind blew with him across the New York City roofs as block after block was watched over his keen eye.

He thrived in the familiar sounds of New York. Humming with the varies of songs playing loudly from people cars, radios, and home speakers.

Leonardo halted his jumping to rest on a low rooftop. He sat at the edge, scanning the area with his head resting in his hands.

‘Nothing.’ 

Leo sighed, almost dismayed, as people went about as normal. He rubbed at his chin, deep in thought. ‘ What are they planning?’. He would need to find out.

...

From the shadows emerges a man dressed in black. He looks around at the bustling city with disgust.  
Then he looks up at the rooftops above and smiles...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I have no clue what’s going on..”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, another chapter :) hope you enjoy 
> 
> sorry for my bad grammar

( Present...)

Dying wasn’t anything at all like he had felt before. There was no suddenness to it, no warm darkness that cradles him as he slips beyond his plane, or anything remotely like death itself. Everything was just...normal.

It’s as if his eyes had closed for a second and then, when he reopened them, time had already gone by a thousand years. Shifting him into something utterly different from what he used to be and infiltrating his soul to reshape his face and snap his bones.   
Rebirth. 

At least that’s what he believed it to be.

The last bit of consciousness that held him before he died saved the memories of his final seconds. Fire and flames, blood and shadows, a war or battle. He was killed.   
His murderer had fled, not before uttering the supposed final words he’d ever hear, and left him to rot on the roof top. The sword still stuck deeply into his side.

Was he alone?

“ Stay awake you-“

No, no. He wasn’t.

His brothers had been with him, fighting with him against the enemy. He had seen them all. Bruised, battered, and bloody...but alive and full of spirit.   
But he hadn’t been able to spot them before he...passed...but, someone else was there, weren’t they?

His body fills with horror as he cannot put a name to the beautiful woman with red hair, nor the hockey mask wearing male. They are but strangers in his head now...fuzzy cotton balls of pale human skin and colorful eyes.

He wishes he could of asked for their names...it doesn’t matter now.

His spirit has already moved on, readying itself for what it believed to be anew...but how could he move on without them? Their sweet voices and such that fueled his purpose? He was nothing.

A whirlpool begins to form at his feet, but he doesn’t want to go, and slowly sucks him away. Dizzying his battered mind.   
He tries to fight, to escape, but his waist has already disappeared on the other side.  
He will not win.

Darkness above him begins to fade to grey as the whirlpool chokes him around the neck. Chilling his spine.   
He reluctantly ready’s himself for a new world...and lets the pool swallow his head.

Dying wasn’t anything at all like he had felt before...and this, whatever it is, was no different.

...

Leonardo is walking when he comes to, and the unexpectedness of it causes him to trip and fall. His rugged hands brace for impact but, as he winced in awaiting shock, a hand gripes his bicep and hefts him right back up to his feet. Nearly sending him flying into the air as he comes bouncing back down onto stable feet. 

“ Woah, that was a close one.” A voice states, not his brothers...not the two humans, from his right.” Might want to watch where your walking so you don’t embarrass yourself in front of the master.” 

“ Master?” Leonardo’s voice isn’t his own, and he nearly stumbles again. He reaches a hand to his throat, expecting something to be wrong with it, but his finger tips are met with a silk like fabric covering a strange thin neck.  
He squints to himself, maybe that wasn’t him...maybe it was someone else’s voices

He drags his hand up the thin neck before gripping at a strong, not turtle like, chin. His eyes widen.

“ What the-“ There’s the voice again, it’s him. Rough and accented with a smokers touch to it. Not the powerful boom of a leader nor the comforting sweetness of a brother.   
He covers his slacked mouth with his hand, and it feels strange.

His lips close, thick and plush lips, and he taps his face. Counting his fingers.

One. Two. Three....Four.Five. Five fingers.

Five fingers...He brings his hand down from his face, surly it’s his own as he can feel it, and examines the new appendages. 

Clothed in familiar black gloves, Leo wriggles his thumb, middle finger and pointer finger...then he wills himself to bend the new pinkie and ring finger.   
They bend, and he wishes they didn’t. 

A hand, another five fingered hand, grasps his shoulder and gives it a squeeze.

“ You okay, man?” They sound concerned, but their voice is rough- like his own- and deep.

Leonardo turns his attention from his new strange hand to the person next to him. He faces a chest, then he looks up. 

They’re clad in foot ninja gear, but their mask is pulled up to sit atop their head. Revealing a tired, young adult with brown eyes and blond hair that peaks out form his hood.   
Leonardo might of classified him as handsome, had it not been for the obvious, and would of let himself swoon. But he couldn’t.

The man stared deep into his eyes. Searching for what was causing him, Leonardo, to worry....  
He hoped the man would find nothing.

Leonardo dropped his hand to his side, and tried his best to act as if everything was normal.

He gave a smile.” Yeah...man-“ He had to internally cringe at himself.”- I’m fine. Just a little woozy. Nothing major.” It killed him to place his own comforting hand on the enemy’s shoulder, but he forced himself to play the part until he could figure out what was going on. 

The foot ninja didn’t look convinced by Leo’s acting, but he didn’t question it.

His hand slid off Leo’s shoulder.” Okay...just make sure not to fucking pass out in front of him, you got that?” His voice turned stern, and Leonardo pulled his hand off the man’s shoulder in fear.

“ I will do my best, sir...” Leonardo let his rough voice take on a softer tone, and it seemed to shock the other man a bit.

He lifted a perfectly sculpted brow, eyes growing soft.” After this...I think we both deserve a long vacation.” The foot ninja walked past Leonardo and stiffened his shoulders.” Let’s get this over with...”

Leonardo trailed after him silently. His tail tucked between his legs. 

They were walking down a long hallway. The walls smooth and shinny with no decoration or photos hung on either side. A single door was at the end, the destination Leonardo guessed he was heading, and it loomed over him ominously.

Leonardo swallows audibly, he didn’t mean to, and received a quizzical look from the foot ninja beside him. 

He really needed to work on his acting.

“ Just let me do the talking.” The foot ninja said, looking Leonardo up and down.” You’ll be fine.” 

Leonardo bit his bottom lip, and nodded. ‘Why is it that I don’t fully believe that?’

The foot ninja pushed open the door, it looked heavy from Leo’s perspective, with ease and motioned for Leonardo to enter first.

His hesitance is what caused the foot ninja to sweat. 

“ What are you doing? Get in there!” His bicep was grabbed again, harshly this time, and he was shoved into the room. 

The sudden movement cause his legs to shake. He awaited another fall to the ground, but the foot ninja gripped the back of his shirt and kept him standing...again.

Leonardo straightened up, sweat beginning to form on his brow. He flinched as the door closed behind him and didn’t move form his spot again until the foot ninja was by his side.   
Together they walked forward. Footsteps in sync echoed throughout a large room with high glass windows, glass floors with water beneath them and metal torches. 

The foot ninja, Leo watching his every move, walked to the bottom of a set of stairs, and waited. Leonardo almost began to walk up them but he jerked himself back it into place with the foot ninja.   
The back of his neck began to heat up.

Leonardo glanced at the foot ninja, sweat now dripping from his chin, and waited for what was to come next. 

The foot ninja looked just as petrified, if not more, than himself.

“ Great.” Leo grimaced to himself and turned to face the stairs. 

At the very top, the back of a chair faced them both. It was big and grey with no softness to its looks.

Leo thinks it might of been cut straight out of a large bolder, but the bottom of the chair seemed to have been bolted to a swivel machine. Making it a medieval office chair with no cushion.

There was no person that came to Leonardo’s mind as to who the chair might of belonged to, but when the swivel began to squeak and a large thigh covered in sharp armor came in sight, Leonardo’s thoughts dispersed.

The Shredder now faced them both. Big, intimidating, and...big.

Leo felt like he was about the faint. 

The foot ninja beside him suddenly dropped into a kneeling position, and when he didn’t drop with him, Leonardo was quickly pulled down to mirror him. 

“ Master Shredder...” The foot ninja bowed his head.” You wished to-“

“ Which one of you was it.”

Leonardo tensed up at the Shredders interruption, and so did the foot ninja.

A drop of sweat fell from his hair line and onto the cement floor. The foot ninja slowly raised his head. Shaking as he stares into the shredders hooded eyes.

“ Master...what do you-“

“ Which one of you killed the turtle?” Leonardo’s eyes widened, and all air seemed to leave his lungs.

“ Me...?” He asked, softly enough for the Shredder not to hear him, but loud enough to gain the man beside him his attention. 

The foot ninja side eyed him, waiting for something, then elbowed him harshly. 

“ Ow.” 

The foot ninja stared at him angrily. The whites of his eyes almost glowing. He turned back to the Shredder, bowing his head.

“ My apologizes, Master Shredder, but my comrade is not fairing quite well...” Leonardo feels a pair of eyes bore into the top of his head, and he bows deeper.

The foot ninja licks his lips, and confidently looks up at the Shredder.” He killed the turtle.” 

Leonardo nearly chokes on his spit.

‘No. No, I didn’t. I was killed by a foot ninja...I didn’t kill myself..’

“ I saw him do it, too...” The foot ninja continues, giving a cowards smile.” It was marvelous, Master....you should have-“ His praises were cut short, much to Leo’s delight. 

“ Leave us.”

The curt order instantly sent the foot ninja to his feet. His form swaying nervously on his feet.   
“ Yes, sir.” He gave a bow and turned away stiffly to face the exit.

Leonardo’s mind was screaming for him not to leave, but he could do nothing without giving himself away.

The sound of the door closing might as well of been a death sentence. He was alone...left with this monster.   
Leonardo could not of felt more in fear of his life then ever...not even when he was dying.

“ Come here.” The Shredder commanded, voice stern with no time for hesitance. 

Leonardo scrambled to his feet and a wave of dizziness sent his head spinning in a circle. 

‘ There’s no one to catch you.’ He reminded himself, spreading his feet out to find some sense of stable ground. More sweat began to form at his brow line as he struggles to fight through the dizzy spell.

The Shredder was becoming impatient, his metal fingers tapped on the stone throne.

“ Come.” The single word was made more powerful with the promise of a threat hanging loosely on the end of it. 

Leonardo tensed up and gathered his wits. Swallowing, he keeps his head down, and makes the journey up the tall stair case.   
Just as the tips of the Shredders pointed shoes come into view, Leonardo jerks to a stop. He keeps stock still, barely suppressing a flinch as the Shredders armor clicks, and makes in hand into a fist. A five fingered fist.

The Shredder hums while leaning forward. One of his clawed hands reaches out to take Leonardo’s chin between his fingers, griping him roughy, and cranks Leo’s head up that there is no use but to look the bigger man right in the eyes.

When they locked eyes, Leo believed it was all over. There’s no way that Shredder won’t be able to recognize him, not in a million years, and he ready’s himself for the sweet release of death...again.

He waits...and he waits...but it never comes.

The Shredder looks his face over, not an ounce of recognition to be seen. Leonardo tries his best to keep his breathing under control, forcing his mind to imagine he is else where.

He doesn’t do it for long before the Shredder releases his face, humming something to himself. 

Leonardo stops himself from rubbing at his throbbing jaw and bows his head again, waiting.

The shredder leans back into his seat, his eyes lacking interest.

“ How old are you?”

The question throws Leo off guard, but he comes up with a quick lie.” Twenty one, Master Shredder.”

The enemy hums again, looking Leonardo up and down. He sighs.

“ That is a lie.”

Leonardo’s heart stops. His eyes widen and he looks up at the deadly killer in fright.

He is met with an unamused face.” I care not for it, though...I have no idea how a human as young as you slipped past me...” The Shredder holds his chin in his hand, and Leonardo prays that it all will be over soon.

“ It matters not...” Leonardo’s shoulders drop, he hopes the shredder didn’t notice.

“ Leave me, now.” He doesn’t have to be told twice.

“ Yes, Master Shredder.” The name tastes like poison on his tongue, and he has to hold back a gag as he bows to the powerful man. 

Leonardo then quickly scampers down the stairs, not once looking back at the throne, and exits the room as clumsily as he had entered.

The door closes, and his foot seems to get caught on nothing and send him flying forward.

This time, Leonardo calls for the floor to meet him. The need to relax out all over the floor sounding much more enjoyable than figuring out what was going on.

A hand catches him before he hits the ground, as one seems to always do, and it makes him want to scream.

“ Okay, I don’t know what’s going on with you , but you really gotta learn how to walk, Buddy.” It’s the same foot ninja from before. He had been waiting for him.

The foot ninja straightens Leonardo out and pats his back.” You seem fine, though. I’m guessing the master didn’t figure it out, right?” He smiles wide, the ends of his eyes wrinkling as he squints.

Leonardo takes that moment to rub at his chin.” No...” He lies, not exactly knowing what the ‘it’ was that they were talking about.” No, he didn’t.”

The foot ninja let his eyes fall halfway.” Well, that’s good.” His hand left Leonardo’s back but, for some reason, his senses called back for the touch.

“ Now, let’s go get something to eat, I bet you’re starving.” The foot ninja ruffles Leo’s head. Unknown hair, pinned underneath an identical black hood that he seemed to have missed covering his face, pulled against his scalp at the action. But he didn’t have the strength to tell the other to stop. 

Leonardo let the foot ninja lead the way, as well letting him talk the whole time while he only jumped in when he was given a question, towards the food.   
They passed by a bunch of doors with no labels that Leonardo refused to memorize as his thoughts became more buzzed and scattered the longer the other spoke.

Finally, after turning one last corner, Leonardo was met with another hallway of doors. His insides churned at the idea of having to know which door led to where, but his stomach was put at ease as the foot ninja he was with pulled out a black white card. Placing it on the door closest to them, a beep was heard, and the lock clicked open.

The foot ninja twisted the door handle and turned back to Leonardo with a soft, sweet smile.” We can take a small nap after dinner...training was pushed back a bit tonight cause of the fight.” The ninja grabbed Leo’s hand and lead him through the doorway and into the room.

Leonardo numbly went along with him, and closed the door behind him. 

He knew he had to act like the room was familiar to him, but the horrible conditions of it made him want to openly stare. 

There was a single bed, a small, with one thin mattress covered in a tattered blue blanket. There were no pillows.  
A small desk with a little lamp sat beside it. The drawers that would of come with it to hold the clothes/supplies were missing. Below that a red sleeping bag lay rolled up and propped against it, ready for use. And, on the other side of the bed, had a full length mirror laying against the wall. 

He caught a glimpse of a skinny looking male dressed head to toe in black clothing before looking away.

‘ Just breathe...’

Leonardo stood near the door, his hands fumbling with his fingers below his chest, and watched as the foot ninja walked over to the wall opposite of the pathetic looking bed.

A small mini fridge, on the brink of dying, was tucked into the corner underneath a two seat table with only one chair and papers scattered all over it. 

Leo watched quietly as the ninja opened the fridge and reached in. Contents inside rumbled and fell over as he looked for what he wanted. An empty bottle of...something, fell out at the ninjas feet but he did not reach for it. 

A shattered clock on wall above, what Leo hoped to be, the bathroom door started down at him hauntingly.

The cool air of the room did nothing to ease his sweating.

Another round of rumbling filled the room before the ninja gathered what he needed in his hands and closed the door. His head turned to the table as he set down half of a turkey sandwich, two apples, and a water bottle with no top.

Leonardo wondered how long the apples had been in the fridge, because they were bruised beyond belief.

His stomach still rumbled as he looked at them.

The foot ninja turned behind him to Leonardo and smiled.” What are you doing standing over there by yourself, sweetheart?” His eyes fluttered with a different kind of love as he leaned his hip against the table.” You still feeling sick?”

Leonardo’s heart raced. This was a new development he didn’t know if he could manage...but, he would have to.

“ No..” his voice was now timid.” Just watching you...” He felt his lips smile involuntarily, and he hated it. 

The foot ninja smiled sweetly at him.” Okay, sweetheart...how about you take a hot shower before we eat.” He turned back around to twist the apple stems out of the middle.” Then we can sleep, okay?”

Leonardo was surprised by the sudden change of emotions, but nodded anyway and headed towards the “bathroom door”.

As Leo passed, the foot ninja cheekily tapped his ass with a chuckle. He squeaked, embarrassed, and rushed into the bathroom with his head down and face heating up.

“ Make sure the waters nice and warm! Maybe I’ll join you in a minute...” 

Leonardo’s face paled. The self invitation was made to be a form of flirting, but all Leonardo could feel was disgust.

He chose not to reply back and instead focused on starting the shower. Leonardo twisted the knob to the side, letting the cold water spray against the porcelain floor. He turned the knob towards the red side and stood back as the water pressure changed. 

While waiting for everything to heat up, Leonardo decided to strip off his...foot clothes.

Starting with the mask, Leo tugged it off with ease and shook his head as softly curled hair fell into his eyes in a mess of fuzz and brushed just right above his ears. 

Leonardo stroked a hand through the hair, spine tingling at the foreign feeling, to get it out of his eyes. It was very thick for feeling so light and soft, nothing like either human friends hair he had felt before...

He signed and let his hand fall down from his head and drag across his face. 

The black gloves he wore felt rough against his smooth skin and tickled his lips with their wrinkles. He decided to take those off next. 

Using his other hand, Leonardo slowly slipped off his left hand glove to reveal lightly browned skin that had patches of pale white skin scattered in different place. They almost looked like puzzle pieces....but badly damaged and smushed.   
Leonardo took of his other glove and saw that the same thing was occurring on it as well.

A human skin disease...that’s all he knew.

Leonardo knew he would have to figure out what the name of it was called later, but the bathroom was beginning to steam up, and he quickly tossed aside his other clothes. Taking note that the white patches of skin didn’t stop at just his hands and actually spread out all over his body. As if he’d been splashed with paint that couldn’t come off. 

He hoped into the shower right as the bathroom door creaked open.

The foot ninja popped his head through the door to gaze at the outline of Leonardo’s body from behind the shower curtain. 

He whistled while squeezing his body through the cracked door space, making sure not to let all the heat out, and then closed the door behind him.

Leonardo side eyes the shadow of the foot ninja through the shadow curtain.

“ Miss me already?” He tried at a joke, hoping that the foot ninja wouldn’t be suspicious of it. 

“ Of course I did.” The foot ninja replied nonchalantly, much to Leo’s relief.” I miss you all the time.” He jiggled at his belt buckle and slipped it off from around his waist.

Leo ignores it the best he can as he soaks his hair under the water.” Wouldn’t of guessed.” 

His response makes the foot ninja fumble a bit, but the rustling of clothes still being taken off take Leo away form that. 

“ Oh? Why’s that?” The foot ninja sets his clothes down, neatly folded, on the toilet seat. Stepping up to the shower curtain, he enters from the back. His exposed chest facing Leonardo as the he washes his hair.  
“ Did I do something?”

Leonardo prides himself on the fact he has remained in control of emotions for so long, and closes his eyes as the warm water drips down his neck. 

The foot ninja frowns and steps forward to place his big hands on Leonardo’s waist. He looks down at him with melancholy eyes.   
It makes Leonardo squirm.

“ You didn’t do anything...it’s nothing.” Leo replies timidly, crossing his arms over his chest.” It’s just...”

“ Just what?” The foot ninja pushes Leo back into the shower wall so that the hot water finally graces his own skin.

Leo lets himself shiver at the cold touch.” Just...I don’t know.” He looks over at the shelf of different hair products, most almost nearly empty, and randomly picks one out.  
“ Everything feels different...”

The foot ninja carefully takes the bottle out of Leo’s hand and then squirts some of the product into his own.” Why’s that?” He raises a brow asking while blindly setting the bottle down.  
“ Is it because of that turtle you killed?”

Leonardo flinches both at the phrasing and how the foot ninja gently begins to comb the product through his hair. 

He feels sick of lying, and lets some of the truth slip out.”...Kind of..”

“ Kind of?” The ninja repeats back, now scratching the product deep into Leonardo’s scalp. Arousing a hum from the smaller male.

“ Yes.”

“ What for?”

“ Well...it’s the way he died that I can’t get out of my head.”

“ You’ve killed many people like that before...what’s so special about this time?” The foot ninja takes a step back, out of the spray of water, and Leo replaces his spot.

“ I know that, but...he died along side his family...” Leo’s heart turned cold as he thought more about his death.” Isn’t that sad...?” Leo let the water wash away most of the suds before he began to use his fingers to scrub them away himself.

The foot ninja watches him with his back leaned against the opposite shower fall. His face contorted in something complex and fragile.  
“ Reece-“

Leonardo quirked a brow at the name, forgetting for just a moment that he was, quite literally, not himself.

“...you’re too soft.” The foot ninja pushed himself off the wall to lean over Leonardo, soaking his hair with what was left of the warm water as his fingers combed through Leonardo’s hair.  
“ Those freaks aren’t a family...they’re a nuisance. They go around killing our friends just because they can and then don’t even stop to think if who they killed had a family of their own...they don’t deserve to be mourned over, and they certainly don’t deserve anymore of your time...you’re so much better than them, Reecey...you’re so much nicer, kind and considerate...the fact that you’re even giving them the time of day should be a blessing to them because...you’re just the best...You killing that one bastard turtle won’t stop their world form turning, I doubt that they even care...they’re just animals...mindless and dumb animals...please don’t worry any more about them, sweetheart...once we kill them all everything will be just fine...” 

The foot ninja kisses the top of Leo’s head, his fingers caressing the strands of curly hair with care.” I love you...”

Leonardo let the mans chest lean against his face, almost taking comfort in its warmth, but as soon at the long awaited river of tears bursted form his water line, he pushed the foot ninja away. 

“ I think I’m ready for a nap.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading !!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading :)! See you next time!


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